Yarn twisting and winding apparatus



Oct; 14, 1941. R. LITTLE ETAL 2,258,399

YARN TWISTING AND WINDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. '7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 oct, 14, 1941.

R. LITTLE ETAL YARN TWISTING AND WINDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. '7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct 14, 1941 2.258.899 a ram; TWISTING AND wmnme mm'ru Royal Little, Provldence, a. n me l aciiic 1.

Thomas, Scranton, Pa., asslgnors, by direct and mesne assignments, to U. S. Textile Machine Company, Scranton,-Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application mm- '1, mo, seen-no. 360,058

This invention relates to apparatus for twlsting yarnv and for .wlndingthe same in a yarn package. In such machines, commonly termed up twisters, the yarn is unwound from a supply spool or package'mounted on a twister spindle 'rotated at constant speed, and the yarn is wound onto a take-up roll or delivery package driven by surface contact at a substantially constant peripheral speed. It is the general object of our invention to' provide improved yarn twisting and after describedand more particularly pointed out in .the appended claims. I

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which- I Fig.1 is a front elevation of our improved apparatus;

.1518. 21s 'alfsectional side elevation thereof.

' taken along the line 2-2 in Pig; 1-;

' winding apparatus of the up-twister type in" whichprovision is made for controlling the yarn tension during the twisting and winding opera- I tion.

The twisting spindles revolve at a speed which causes the yarn'to' balloon between the supply" spool on the spindle and a yarn guide located above the spindle and in alignment of rotation thereof. I

If ,a flyer is used on the twister spindle, the yarn tension increases as the spool approaches emptiness, and the speed is limited by the amount with the axis is rotated at constant speed from any suitableof certain parts;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged .I Fig. '1 is a partial plan view, looking in the direction-of the arrow in Fig. 3; and 4 Fig. 5- is a side-elevation, partly in section, showing a modiflcation of certain parts appearing in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, our improved twisting and winding apparatus comprises a twister spindle III which is of any usual type and which source of power; 1 A supply spooL'S or other suitable yam package is mounted on the twister spindle I0 and'is rotated thereby. K

of tension which the yarn will stand when the} spool is nearly empty;

If, on the other hand, no flyer is used, the ten:

sion varies in the opposite manner, being greatest with a full spool and least with a nearly empty.

spool, The spindle speed is then limited by the tension which the yarn can stand when the bobbin is full. But at a spindle speed thus limited,

- roll R, which roll is rotatably mounted between the forked upper ends I of a swinging frame or the yarn tension for a nearly empty spool may fall below that tension which is necessary to make satisfactory yarn.

It isiound that the yarnfte'nsion varies approximately according to the 'plane area enclosed by the ballooningxyarn and by a line drawn from the yarn guide to the unwinding surface. It is a further object of our invention to provide means for controlling the yarn tension by regulating and varying this balloon area during unwinding of a spool by changing the position of the yarn guide relative to the twister spindle and said spool.

More specifically we provide means for automatically increasing the axial distance between the yarn guide and the rotating supply spool as the unwinding of the spool progresses. This offsets the tendency of the balloon to decrease in area as the spool decreases in eflective diameter.

We further provide cam mechanism by which the relative movement of the yarn guide may be closely and accurately controlledto produce the desired results. I

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of'parts which will be herein- The yarn-Y is drawn upward from the rotating spool 8 through a'yarn guide l2 and over a guide roll it lindis then directed by a pivoted guide member I! to the surface of a take-up or delivery support I! mounted on fixed pivots IS. A spring 20' (Fig. 2) normally swings the supporting frame l8 and run It yieldingly to the right in Fig. 2,

so that the surface of the roll is pressed firmly "against a'drum 22 mounted on a continuously rotated shaft 23.

, Consequently, the roll R is driven at a constant surface speed, which speed remains unchanged,

regardless of the diameter of the mass of yarn wound on the take-up roll, and thus a substantially fixed number of turns of twist is imparted to each inchof yarn drawn upward and wound on the roll R. n

' V The guide member I! is hinged on a traverse rod 24 which'is longitudinally reciprocated by suitable driving mechanism, in timed relation to the speed of rotation of the winding drum 22.

"The traverse rod 24 is reciprocated between guide-rolls 25 mounted in rectangular frame members 26, which in turn are secured to a fixed fixed pivot 32 for a yarn guide lever 33, in the s e'ctii mal' side elevation free end of which the yarn guide I2 is adjustab y secured. Lugs 34 on the bracket 30 guide the lever 33 in its swinging vertical movement.

A cam lever 40 (Fig. 3) is pivoted at 4| in a longitudinal recess 42 between the sides of the lever 33. Ahorizontal extension 44 on the lever 40 is positioned for engagement by an adjusting screw 45 threaded in the lever 33, so that the operative position of the lever 40 relative to the lever 33 may be accuratelydetermined. The cam surface of the lever 40 is engaged by an upwardly extending and offset projection 45 carried by the lcawer member 41 (Fig. 1) of the swinging frame I Having described the details of construction of our improved twisting and winding apparatus, we will now describe the use and operation thereof.

The cam lever 40 is so adjusted by the screw 45 that the yarn guide i2 will occupy the lower position indicated in Fig. 2 when the roll R is substantially empty and is driven directly by the drum 22, it being assumed that the spool S is conversely full of yarn.

As the twisting and winding operation proceeds, the amount of yarn on the spool S decreases and tends to produce decreased balloon tension on the yarn, as previously explained. At the same time, the diameter of the yarn mass on the roll R correspondingly increases and this increase of yarn on the roll R swings the supporting frame l8, together with the roll R, to the left as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3 and against the tension of the spr v Such movement of the frame l3 toward the full line position shown in Fig. 3 causes the lug 46 to move the cam lever 40, which in turn causes the lever 33 to move upward and causes the yarn guide 12 to move toward the raised full line position shown in Fig. 3.

By selecting a suitable profile for the cam 40, the upward movement ofthe yarn guide i2 may be accurately related to the increase of diameter of the yarn mass on the roll R and to the corresponding decrease in diameter of the yarn mass on the spool S.

If a correct ratio is thus maintained between the decrease in diameter of the yarn mass on the supply spool S and the elevation of the yarn guide l2, ballooning of the yarn Y can be satisfactorily controlled, so as to maintain the required tension on the yarn Y during the unwinding of the spool S.

This removes the main objection to operation without a flyer and makes available the higher practicable speed of such operation, with corresponding increase in production.

It has been found for instance that a machine ordinarily limited to 8500 R. P. M. by use of flyers can be operated as high as 13,000 E. P. M. with our vertically shiftable yarn guide and with equally satisfactory results.

1 In Fig. 5 we have shown'a modified construction in which an engaging member mounted on the lower member 41 of a swinging frame l3 projects upward and engages the end 32 of a cam block 53 fitted within and below the lever 33 and secured thereto by abolt 34 extending through a slot 55. As the member 50 engages the surface 52 at a point substantially further from the axis of the swinging frame 13, the cam action is more rapid and positive, particularly in the first part of the upward movement of the lever 33".

In actual operation, it is quite commonly deincrease in diameter sirable to have the upward movement of the lever 33 completed by the time the spool S is from one-half to three-quarters unwound, as it is found that no further upward movement of the lever 33'- and guide i2 is commonly required during the removal of the remaining part of the yarn from the spool S.

If desired, the cam block 53 may be provided with a second and different cam surface 53 at its opposite end and may be reversed when a different ratio of movement of the lever 33' is desired.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is:

1-. Apparatus for twisting and winding yarn comprising a twister spindle rotated at constant speed and on which a supply spool is mounted, a takeup roll on which the twisted yarn is wound, means to drive said roll at constant yarn-surface speed, a yarn guide interposed between said spindle and said take-up roll and positioned substantially in alignment with the spindle axis, and automatic means to increase the axial spacing of said yarn guide from said spindle and spool in predetermined positive and direct relation to the of the yarn mass on the take-up roll.

2. Apparatus for twisting and winding yarn comprising a twister spindle rotated at constant speed and on which a supply spool is mounted, a take-up roll on which the twisted yarn is wound, means to drive said roll at constant yarnsurface speed, a yarn guide interposed between said spindle and said take-up roll and positioned substantially in alignment with the spindle axis,

- and automatic means to progressively change the the yarn mass on sai package and effective to progressively raise said yarn guide during the transfer of the yarn from said spool to said package.

4. Apparatus for twisting and winding yarn comprising a twister spindle rotated at constant speed and on which a supply spool is mounted. a take-up roll on which the twisted yarn is wound,.means to drive said roll at constant yarnsurface speed, a movably mounted yarn guide interposed between said spindle and said take-up roll and positioned substantially in alignment with the spindle axis, a movable support in which said take-up roll is mounted for movement away from said driving means as the yarn mass on said roll increases in diameter, and an actuating connection between said movable support and said movable yarn guide by which said guide is moved axially away from said spindle as said take-up roll and support are moved away from said driving means.

5. The combination in twisting and winding apparatus as set forth in claim 4, in which the actuating connection includes cam means to produce a variable ratio of movement between said and to position said 1 .means to drive said roll at constant yarn-surface speed, a swinging supporting frame for said roll; means to press said roll and frame yieldingly toward said driving means, a lug on said frame, a yarn guide, a lever in which said guide is mounted for movement in substantial alignment with the spindle axis, a cam member pivoted in said lever, and means to adjust said member in saidlever. said lug engaging said cam member and variably raising said yam guide as the take-up roll and supporting frame are swung from said driving means by the increasing diameter of the yarn mass on said roll.

7. Apparatus for twisting and winding yarn comprising a twister spindle rotated at constant speed and on which a supply spool is mounted, a take-up roll on which the twisted yarn is wound, means to drive said roll at constant yarn-surface speed, a swinging supporting frame for said roll.-

the yarn mass increases.

toward said driving means, a lug on said frame, a yarn guide, a lever in which said guide is moimted for movement in substantial alignment with the spindle axis,and a cam member secured to said lever and engaged by said lug, whereby said supporting frame coacts with said lever to progressively raise said yarn guide as the take-up roll and supporting frame are swung from said driving means by the increasing diameteroi the yarn mass on said roll.

8 In yarn twisting and winding apparatus in which the yarnis drawn from a spool rotated by a twister spindle at constant speed and is wound in a rotated yarn package having constant surface speed, that improvement which comprises a driving roILa'take-up roll supporting a yarn mass which yieldingly engages the suriace of said-driving roll and which is moved from the axis of said driving roll as said yarn mass increases in diameter, a movable yarn guide, andoperative connections between said take-up roll and said yarn guide, through which said roll is effective to raise said guide as the diameter of ROYAL 1.1mm. PACIFIC J. moms. 

